Cooking from scratch

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thegypsy

Assistant Cook
Joined
Jul 28, 2023
Messages
15
Location
victoria australia
I get so tired seeing a recipe that sounds good, open it up and get cans of this and that. Yes, I can make my own 'can of mushroom soup' but it would be nice not to have to.
 
I get so tired seeing a recipe that sounds good, open it up and get cans of this and that. Yes, I can make my own 'can of mushroom soup' but it would be nice not to have to.
There is a mass of ideas here that I use all the time. (Can't recall seeing any canned soups as ingredients, and the recipes are pretty straight forward.) https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/
 
The only recipe I make regularly that uses canned soup is my grandmothers best friends’ Swedish meatball recipe which uses a can of mushroom soup.

Her name was Myrtle Knudsen and she was — gasp— Norwegian.

Totally kickass meatballs
 
For me, the notion of cooking everything from scratch isn’t helpful or realistic and comes across as a form of food snobbery.

IMO a skilled cook should be able to use what ever is available to pull together a good meal.

Keep an open mind, we can all learn from each other as we discuss cooking.

“We do the best we can with what we know, and when we know better, we do better.” - Maya Angelou
 
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It takes time and time is at a premium for most people. Cooking isn't on everyone's priority list as #1.

I agree with @thegypsy it's hard to find recipes that have basic recipes without additional canned ultra processed foods. Mostly I find that recipe books written in the 30-50's are less influenced by marketed processed foods.

@KatyCooks excellent link. I even found blue zone recipes there. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/blue-zones-diet-recipes
 
The only recipe I make regularly that uses canned soup is my grandmothers best friends’ Swedish meatball recipe which uses a can of mushroom soup.

Her name was Myrtle Knudsen and she was — gasp— Norwegian.

Totally kickass meatballs
Share?
 
Oh Yes! Me Too, please!!!
I know the Swedish meatball's my mom used to bring home frm this lady was using canned mushroom soup but for some reason I just cannot replicate!
 
Welcome to DC Gypsy!

"Cooking from scratch" is a great intro. I'm glad you can make mushroom soup on your own.

As far as recipes go, a technique I use may help you.

Once a recipe catches my eye or mental tastebuds, I search that recipe title and compare ingredients and techniques of 4-5 similar recipes. I have each recipe open on separate browser tabs for going back and forth between them. Any recipe calling for a can of mushroom soup just tells me that the finished dish has a thickened liquid and mushrooms. I know how to thicken liquid and I know how to add mushrooms. One recipe calls for 8oz Button shrooms another calls for 16oz Porcini shrooms, I love my shrooms so I will probably choose adding the 16oz of Porcinis and deal with the additional 1 or 2oz of liquid that cooking them produces. 3 recipes call for water and I think of other liquids that bring more flavor than water, like Beef stock, veggie stock, wine, etc. and adjust salt or acid level accordingly. Knowledge of techniques, like using thickeners, and knowledge of ingredients, like mushrooms give off a lot of liquid, are the important parts of cooking. Plug the flavors and ingredients of the recipe into the techniques you already know and trust.

Cornstarch mixed with water and left to sit will result in the starch settling on the bottom, every single time, requiring mixing before using. I've seen recipes calling to add all liquids, including the cornstarch slurry, and bring to boil until thick. This forces me to stand there and constantly stir or risk lumps as the starch settles, which it always will, if I followed the recipe, which I don't. When the liquid comes to a boil, add the thickener regardless what the recipe tells me to do. The joy in cooking, for me, was not needing to follow recipes and using what I have observed and learned along the way, like this cornstarch example. For a recipe calling for a can of mushroom soup, think thickened liquid with mushroom flavor and just cook from scratch.

FWIW random tip for making meatballs and meatloaf- When your mixing is done, cook 1/2 oz (or a tiny amount) in the microwave to ensure desired seasoning level before proceeding, it's your last chance to adjust...
 
Wow! Thank you all for your ideas. I didn't really learn to cook til I was in my 50's. I was raised in England by a mother who believed that you had to boil the food til it lost any resemblance to the potatoes or cabbage that she started with. I hated cabbage til my mate cooked it for me. I had no idea how good it tasted til then. So, I'll take your advice and stick around. Thank you.
 
Welcome to DC Gypsy!
Okay, I'll probably get a lot of blow back for this post, but it's really bugging me. Can we please use something else to refer to @thegypsy than just the G-word? It's an ethnic slur against Romani people. How about referring to this member as "TG". I am sometimes referred to as "TL".
 
My feeling is that if this person has named themselves "thegypsy" has in all probable innocence consider it more of a compliment and emulating the Romani as living free. I see no harm in it.
I myself never knew it was not appreciated by them - mainly because it was such a widely used term and never (to the best of my knowledge) had I met one and no one ever said otherwise.
The same with Laps, Lapps, or Laplanders (although many accept the term Laplander). If and when I ever referred to them it was as Lapps because until I met you I had never heard the name Sami, Sapmi, Saami, Sabme, Same or Samer, nor did I know that it included peoples from Finland, Sweden, Norway and Russia. Nor did I realize just how much of 'Lapland' cover those areas.

I could go on and on about terms with reference to peoples and places but think this suffice. It all relates with what someone grew up with. I am Canadian first and foremost but recognize my Welsh and German heritage. Whereas I personally dislike the name Canucks - I don't think it derogatory, just don't like it - go figure.
Even "the taxman cometh" brings to mind a perhaps fearful reckoning on doomsday to most people. The taxman was traditionally hated and vilified, yet you call yourself taxlady! another - go figure! :whistling :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :whistling
 
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup milk I used 1%
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

So using this base, then one should cook mushrooms, celery first then proceed for which ever one wants? Celery is quite a strong flavour but mushrooms not so much - what quantities should one use.
Plus this only makes about 1 cup, just double, triple for more?
 
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup milk I used 1%
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

So using this base, then one should cook mushrooms, celery first then proceed for which ever one wants? Celery is quite a strong flavour but mushrooms not so much - what quantities should one use.
Plus this only makes about 1 cup, just double, triple for more?
I’d cook the mushrooms and celery first, drain and save the liquid and set aside, using the reserved liquid in place of some of the broth. Then add the mushrooms and celery after the sauce comes together.
 
Here is Myrtle’s Swedish meatball recipe ( despite her being —gasp—Norwegian.

Note, I use a lot more allspice, along with a bit of dry ground coriander and a bit of garlic powder.
 

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